


Life Lenses

by thalassatides



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: F/M, Persona 5 References, Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers, Persona 5 Spoilers, Persona 5: The Royal Spoilers, Post-Persona 5, Post-Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers, Post-Persona 5: The Royal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 21:53:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29923359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thalassatides/pseuds/thalassatides
Summary: This is the day that Shiho has been waiting for: Ren's return from Tokyo.
Relationships: Amamiya Ren & Suzui Shiho, Amamiya Ren/Suzui Shiho, Kurusu Akira & Suzui Shiho, Kurusu Akira/Suzui Shiho, Persona 5 Protagonist/Suzui Shiho
Kudos: 16





	Life Lenses

Shiho hastened her pace.

The sun burned bright in the sky. The wind rushed past her as she zipped down the road, gears clanking as they grinded against each other.

She arrived five minutes before the train arrived, giving her enough time to park her bicycle and get a drink from one of the vending machines. Moonkist was a rarity in the city, so she was glad that this quiet little town, surprisingly, had more to offer.

The blaring of a train horn alerted her of its approach, and she made her way to the platform where other people were waiting. When she found a space against the wall, she waited. People spilled out of the train to reunite with their loved ones, and she let them have their moment so she could have hers all to herself.

It came to her in the form of frizzy black hair and beautiful grey eyes, hidden behind lenses he didn’t need. One bag housed Morgana, and the other was his luggage.

“Hey,” she greeted.

“Hey yourself,” was his neutral response, and Shiho would’ve felt disheartened if not for the playful smirk on his face.

Morgana emerged from the opening in its bag, and meowed at Shiho. She scratched at the area between his ears, and cooed at the little tux cat for extra measure. Morgana initially disliked it, but warmed up to her over time.

“I hope he was a good boy,” she remarked.

“He was. Absolutely loved his time on Futaba’s lap,” Ren added on.

“What about Ann?”

“Oh, man. He was in heaven.”

Morgana promptly delivered a tail whip to Ren’s cheek.

“C’mon, I brought the bike with me. We can stop by your place then head to mine,” Shiho suggested. “Your parents told me to feed you and Morgana tonight, so I’ve got some sushi. It’s of the/ finest quality to celebrate your return.”

“And to prepare for the start of school?”

Shiho groaned. “And that.”

* * *

The trip to Ren’s house, thankfully, wasn’t far from station. A fifteen minute walk was enough for her friend to get some fresh air, away from the stuffy confines of the train. Morgana chimed in with a meow or two each time Ren mentioned something from his trip, and Ren would banter with his cat as though he were human.

Then again, Morgana was more intelligent than most housecats she knew, Shiho thought. He knew when to chime in, and when to leave them alone whenever the conversation between Ren and Shiho took a heavier turn.

She followed Ren into his bedroom, located on the uppermost floor. The entire bedroom was his, leaving him with more than enough space to fill his room with memories of Tokyo — photographs of their Hawaii trip, of the casual moments in-between, of New Year’s Eve, and she knew that the recent trip to Tokyo would eventually be part of those images.

As he unpacked, she made herself comfortable on his bed and listened to Ren as he continued to share about their different adventures across Japan. She would’ve been envious of them, had it not been for the dark shadows cast across Ren’s eyes once in a while.

Before she could ask further, he handed her a bag.

“I’m not sure what you like, but I got some graphic tees for you,” Ren said, gesturing for Shiho to shift so that he could lay them flat on his comforter. “I know you liked cute and simple designs, but I had Ann help me out with this. She knows your style.”

Her eyes scanned the assortment laid out before her. One of them had a crepe in its centre; one was a simple white and red raglan shirts, and various others that were exactly what she’d wear. Other trinkets were laid out in between the spaces; it was easy to figure out which gifts were from who.

At some point, Ren and Morgana dozed off, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

Shiho carefully gathered her gifts and packed them into a bag, making sure that her movements didn’t wake the two slumbering creatures on the bed. A single glance towards her balcony told her that half the day was gone, that it was a matter of time before she needed to bring them over to her place for dinner.

It wasn't her first trip to Ren's home, but it was the first chance she had to soak in the city beneath it. Although it hadn't been even a year, the whole town felt worn in — Shiho Suzui belonged there more than anywhere.

It seemed like a fitting place to end up, staring over the edge without obstructions, to be reminded of what she could’ve missed out: the shimmering seaside, the roof shingles of the houses below, and the lighthouse in the distance.

If this was hope, Shiho wanted to stare at it every day.

How far can I go? she questioned herself, peering over the edge. Ren’s hometown was enchanting, enough for her to be entranced by its natural beauty. She wanted to see more, to rise even higher—

A gentle paw landed on the back of her hand.

Arms pulled her away from the balcony.

She tumbled into Ren, and they both landed on the floor. When Shiho lifted her head from his chest, he was downright terrified.

She needed to ease his concerns.

“I wasn’t going to… you know, jump,” she explained. “I was just thinking and… your balcony has a great view. I wanted to see whether I could get a better look.”

“You could’ve fallen.”

“But I didn’t.”

Ren refused to say anything else.

Shiho continued.

“I was just thinking of that time. I thought I’d be free from him, but I know… if I’d died, I’d have lost. However, I cannot deny that the feeling of falling… it’s exhilarating.”

“Why?” Ren demanded. “What’s so—”

“It’s one thing to see the sky from the balcony. It’s another to see it in mid-air,” she cut in. “Like you’re falling away from freedom, knowing that there’s something beautiful out there.”

His grip tightened around her waist, unconvinced.

“We all have our different experiences. This is mine,” she finished, and untangled herself from Ren’s arms to lift them both of them on their feet. Her friend was still tense, eyes livid with fear. The shadows were more pronounced, and it hurt her to know that she was the cause of it.

What she did not expect was Ren pressing his lips to the crown of her hair.

“You’re strong, Shiho Suzui. We both know this,” he murmured. “But please, don’t do that again. Not to Ann. Not to me.”

Morgana mewled in agreement. 

* * *

The Suzui household was further than Ren’s house. Finding houses at cheap prices were hard, especially when it looked like it was birthed from a fairytale with its wide backyard. Shiho loved it because it was one of the many houses that overlooked the beach.

Shiho parked her bicycle at the entrance and invited Ren into her home. The fragrance of tempura and soy sauce filled the air, causing Morgana to yowl excitedly. Her mother popped out of the kitchen to greet her guests, and ushered them to the backyard porch.

“He looks tired,” her mother commented when they were alone. “Perhaps some flower tea would do him good.”

“Perhaps,” Shiho mused. “Thanks for making dinner.”

“If you need anything, I’m just a call away,” she reassured. “Go along now. This tea won’t stay hot forever, not with that ocean breeze.”

The sun was starting to sink beneath the horizon, painting the skies in coral and tangerine. Ren Amamiya looked like he was one with the breathtaking view before them. A contented Morgana was resting in his lap, with his owner stroking his spine.

Shiho Suzui found herself in awe that she could call him hers.

She wondered how much luckier she could get.

“Shiho?”

His voice snapped her out of her reverie.

She set the tray down gingerly on the table, poured him a cup of tea, and then tilted his head up so that she could return the favour: she pressed a kiss to his forehead. Her heart swelled when the act drew a smile from him.

“What was that for?” he asked.

“My apology for just now,” she answered. “Sorry for worrying you.”

An arm reached around her, and he paused to see her reaction. When Shiho showed no signs of discomfort, his arm curled around her to pull her closer. His fingers drummed against her bicep in a steady pattern, almost in time with their breathing.

Morgana hopped off Ren’s lap and proceeded to climb one of their trees, leaving the two of them to enjoy each other’s presence.

“Something happened in Tokyo,” Shiho prodded. “Didn’t it?”

Ren froze, confirming her suspicions.

“Yeah,” he admitted. “Wherever I go, trouble follows.”

“But you had fun, didn’t you?” Shiho asked. “If you had fun, the trouble’s all worth it.”

“That’s what everyone says,” was Ren’s answer. “…but it isn’t about that.”

Shiho let the question linger in the air, wondering what Ren was trying to say. With Ren, there was the need to read in between the lines, the need to see far into the future. He was always looking forward, rather than just remaining in the present moment, and it was moments like this where she came into the picture; the opinion of someone outside the Phantom Thieves provided a different perspective, and she knew he valued that very much.

“It’s about here too,” she realised. “You’re scared that it’ll happen here. Again.”

Ren nodded slowly.

“The last thing I want to do for you to get caught in the line of fire.”

A part of her wanted to help, but his intention was clear: he wanted her to not be part of that world, just like Ann. She knew their experiences hadn’t been good; their refusal to let her join them was testament to that.

“I understand,” she spoke. “I won’t get involved. I… I don’t want to be a part of this.”

The thought of entering other people’s cognition didn’t sit right with her.

Shiho sighed deeply, but she managed a smile.

“Would’ve loved to see the look on Kamoshida’s face,” she mused.

Ren chuckled. “He nearly pissed himself.”

It was strange, but Shiho found that they both found peace in the comfortable silence that lingered between them. They laughed together, they read together, they trained together — most of it was done with less words, more action.

Perhaps that’s why they fit together, just like jigsaw puzzles. Together, they were almost picturesque: she was the light to his dark; she loved to remind Ren of all the little things that mattered. He kept it real; he reminded her of the reality that is, tugging her from the creeping dark.

At times, it swallowed her whole.

Ironically, it was violation that brought them together: only Ren truly understood what it felt like to be touched by strangers, to be defiled by the people they were supposed to – that they were taught – to trust.

That’s why they were here today.

And as the sun began its descent beneath the waves, Shiho captured the memory, her eyes as the lenses.

“Welcome home, Ren.”

**Author's Note:**

> I finished this earlier, believing that 1st March was White Day. I completely forgot.
> 
> I was inspired by a commissioned piece of [Ren and Shiho](https://twitter.com/boundless_skies/status/1366182219614621696?s=20) from @jazlyn_jin on Twitter. Check her art out! She's got a unique art style.


End file.
